It started on February 14 and didn't end until April 30. Seventy-six days. The previous record, set during the first Trump administration in 2018–2019, was 35.
The Cause
The shutdown was triggered by a standoff over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, with the central dispute concerning Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A four-day shutdown earlier in the year (January 31 to February 3) had ended with a stopgap that funded DHS for two weeks. When that ran out, no deal followed for two and a half months.
The Effects
Federal workers went without paychecks. National parks shuttered or limped on with skeleton staffing. Air traffic delays mounted. Food assistance programs strained. The economic costs ran into the billions and grew with each passing week.
The Resolution
The deal that finally ended the shutdown didn't resolve the underlying dispute so much as defer it. Both parties claimed wins. Both parties promised the next fight would be different. History suggests otherwise.
Government shutdowns are a uniquely American phenomenon. Most democracies don't do them. There may be a lesson there.